‘Buddy’ Hield poised for stardom, salary increase

Grand Bahamian Chavano ‘Buddy’ Held is presently in his third year in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He came to the Sacramento Kings by way of the New Orleans Pelicans, is the team’s leading scorer and is in the last third of a breakthrough season. Hield, the No. 6 draftee out of the University of Oklahoma three years ago, earns a modest salary in relation to the NBA scale. He operates out of a four-year pact, just under $16 million ($15,887,648), but has pushed his market value incredible higher this season.

A new contract officially comes up at the end of next season. The Kings might opt to offer him a long-term (four-year) extension, as well as he might play his cards to the limit and see what other teams are willing to pay him. Without a doubt, his value has hiked, in my view, to where it will be a cinch for him to make for one season, under a new contract, what he is pulling in for the first four-year ride in the NBA.

Indeed, in year four, he could heighten his profile considerably.

Hield has rounded out into an authentic star class player. The change for the better has been dramatic. His efficiency has increased while playing more minutes. For instance, Hield came into the 2018-2019 season averaging 26.1 minutes per game and is up to 31.6 this year; moved from 45 percent field goal shooting to 47.5 percent this season; three-point shooting has gone from 42.5 percent to 44.9 percent; free throw shooting from 86 percent to 86.1 percent; rebounds from four per game to 5.1; assists from 1.9 per game to 2.3 and blocked shots from 0.2 to 0.4.

The plus sides have been truly remarkable for the 26-year-old.

On Saturday of NBA All-Star Weekend, he enriched his career handsomely by demonstrating that he was a good fit among the best three-point shooters in the NBA. He finished third behind Joe Harris of the Brooklyn Nets and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

That’s great company to say the least.

Hield has evolved into one of the bright young personalities in basketball, counted on by the NBA to enhance its integrity and ensure a great outreach around the world. The courteous Bahamian character and his unassuming manner solidify him for poster status in the NBA. In a lot of ways, the sky is the limit for Hield.

At this rate, he will be in the mainstream all-star group next season; and will go on to be selected multiple times before his career is over. Along the way, he will move up nicely on the salary scale.

The $40 million a year category might be a real stretch at this moment in time, but before it is all over for him, Hield figures to be one of the highest salary earners in the NBA.

What’s more, I submit that ‘Buddy’ Hield is a Hall of Fame inductee in the making!

Go Buddy Buckets!

• To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at e-mail address sturrup1504@gmail.com or on WhatsApp at (242) 727-6363.